1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel methods, devices and apparatuses for the centrifugal separation of a liquid into its components of varying specific gravities, and is more particularly directed toward a blood separation device useful, for example, in the separation of blood components for use in various therapeutic regimens.
2. Description of the State of Art
Centrifugation utilizes the principle that particles suspended in solution will assume a particular radial position within the centrifuge rotor based upon their respective densities and will therefore separate when the centrifuge is rotated at an appropriate angular velocity for an appropriate period of time. Centrifugal liquid processing systems have found applications in a wide variety of fields. For example, centrifugation is widely used in blood separation techniques to separate blood into its component parts, that is, red blood cells, platelets, white blood cells, and plasma.
The liquid portion of the blood, referred to as plasma, is a protein-salt solution in which red and white blood cells and platelets are suspended. Plasma, which is 90 percent water, constitutes about 55 percent of the total blood volume. Plasma contains albumin (the chief protein constituent), fibrinogen (responsible, in part, for the clotting of blood), globulins (including antibodies) and other clotting proteins. Plasma serves a variety of functions, from maintaining a satisfactory blood pressure and providing volume to supplying critical proteins for blood clotting and immunity. Plasma is obtained by separating the liquid portion of blood from the cells suspended therein.
Red blood cells (erythrocytes) are perhaps the most recognizable component of whole blood. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a complex iron-containing protein that carries oxygen throughout the body while giving blood its red color. The percentage of blood volume composed of red blood cells is called the xe2x80x9chematocrit.xe2x80x9d
White blood cells (leukocytes) are responsible for protecting the body from invasion by foreign substances such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. Several types of white blood cells exist for this purpose, such as granulocytes and macrophages which protect against infection by surrounding and destroying invading bacteria and viruses, and lymphocytes which aid in the immune defense.
Platelets (thrombocytes) are very small cellular components of blood that help the clotting process by sticking to the lining of blood vessels. Platelets are vital to life, because they help prevent both massive blood loss resulting from trauma and blood vessel leakage that would otherwise occur in the course of normal, day-to-day activity.
If whole blood is collected and prevented from clotting by the addition of an appropriate anticoagulant, it can be centrifuged into its component parts. Centrifugation will result in the red blood cells, which weigh the most, packing to the most outer portion of the rotating container, while plasma, being the least dense will settle in the central portion of the rotating container. Separating the plasma and red blood cells is a thin white or grayish layer called the buffy coat. The buffy coat layer consists of the white blood cells and platelets, which together make up about 1 percent of the total blood volume.
These blood components, discussed above, may be isolated and utilized in a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic regimens. For example, red blood cells are routinely transfused into patients with chronic anemia resulting from disorders such as kidney failure, malignancies, or gastrointestinal bleeding and those with acute blood loss resulting from trauma or surgery. The plasma component is typically frozen by cryoprecipitation and then slowly thawed to produce cryoprecipitated antihemophiliac factor (AHF) which is rich in certain clotting factors, including Factor VIII, fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor and Factor XIII. Cryoprecipitated AHF is used to prevent or control bleeding in individuals with hemophilia and von Willebrand""s disease. Platelets and white blood cells, which are found in the buffy layer component, can be used to treat patients with abnormal platelet function (thrombocytopenia) and patients that are unresponsive to antibiotic therapy, respectively.
Various techniques and apparatus have been developed to facilitate the collection of whole blood and the subsequent separation of therapeutic components therefrom. Centrifugal systems, also referred to as blood-processing systems, generally fall into two categories, discontinuous-flow and continuous-flow devices.
In discontinuous-flow systems, whole blood from the donor or patient flows through a conduit into the rotor or bowl where component separation takes place. These systems employ a bowl-type rotor with a relatively large (typically 200 ml or more) volume that must be filled with blood before any of the desired components can be harvested. When the bowl is full, the drawing of fresh blood is stopped, the whole blood is separated into its components by centrifugation, and the unwanted components are returned to the donor or patient through the same conduit intermittently, in batches, rather than on a continuous basis. When the return has been completed, whole blood is again drawn from the donor or patient, and a second cycle begins. This process continues until the required amount of the desired component has been collected.
Discontinuous-flow systems have the advantage that the rotors are relatively small in diameter but have the disadvantage that the extracorporeal volume (i.e., the amount of blood that is out of the donor at any given time during the process) is large. This, in turn, makes it difficult or impossible to use discontinuous systems on people whose size and weight will not permit the drawing of the amount of blood required to fill the rotor. Discontinuous-flow devices are used for the collection of platelets and/or plasma, and for the concentration and washing of red blood cells. They are used to reconstitute previously frozen red blood cells and to salvage red blood cells lost intraoperatively. Because the bowls in these systems are rigid and have a fixed volume, however, it is difficult to control the hematocrit of the final product, particularly if the amount of blood salvaged is insufficient to fill the bowl with red blood cells.
One example of a discontinuous-flow system is disclosed by McMannis, et al., in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,540, and is a variable volume centrifuge for separating components of a fluid medium, comprising a centrifuge that is divided into upper and lower chambers by a flexible membrane, and a flexible processing container bag positioned in the upper chamber of the centrifuge. The McMannis, et al., system varies the volume of the upper chamber by pumping a hydraulic fluid into the lower chamber, which in turn raises the membrane and squeezes the desired component out of the centrifuge. The McMannis, et al., system takes up a fairly large amount of space, and its flexible pancake-shaped rotor is awkward to handle. The McMannis, et al., system does not permit the fluid medium to flow into and out of the processing bag at the same time, nor does it permit fluid medium to be pulled out of the processing bag by suction.
In continuous-flow systems, whole blood from the donor or patient also flows through one conduit into the spinning rotor where the components are separated. The component of interest is collected and the unwanted components are returned to the donor through a second conduit on a continuous basis as more whole blood is being drawn. Because the rate of drawing and the rate of return are substantially the same, the extracorporeal volume, or the amount of blood that is out of the donor or patient at any given time in the procedure, is relatively small. These systems typically employ a belt-type rotor, which has a relatively large diameter but a relatively small (typically 100 ml or less) processing volume. Although continuous-flow systems have the advantage that the amount of blood that must be outside the donor or patient can be relatively small, they have the disadvantage that the diameter of the rotor is large. These systems are, as a consequence, large. Furthermore, they are complicated to set up and use. These devices are used almost exclusively for the collection of platelets.
Continuous-flow systems are comprised of rotatable and stationary parts that are in fluid communication. Consequently, continuous-flow systems utilize either rotary seals or a J-loop. A variety of types of rotary centrifuge seals have been developed. Some examples of rotary centrifuge seals which have proven to be successful are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,409,203 and 3,565,330, issued to Latham. In these patents, rotary seals are disclosed which are formed from a stationary rigid low friction member in contact with a moving rigid member to create a dynamic seal, and an elastomeric member which provides a resilient static seal as well as a modest closing force between the surfaces of the dynamic seal.
Another rotary seal suitable for use in blood-processing centrifuges is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,142 issued to Jones, et al. In this rotary seal, a pair of seal elements having confronting annular fluid-tight sealing surfaces of non-corrodible material are provided. These are maintained in a rotatable but fluid-tight relationship by axial compression of a length of elastic tubing forming one of the fluid connections to these seal elements.
Related types of systems which incorporate rotatable, disposable annular separation chambers coupled via rotary seals to stationary tubing members are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,387,848; 4,094,461; 4,007,871; and 4,010,894.
One drawback present in the above-described continuous-flow systems has been their use of a rotating seal or coupling element between that portion of the system carried by the centrifuge rotor and that portion of the system which remains stationary. While such rotating seals have provided generally satisfactory performance, they have been expensive to manufacture and have unnecessarily added to the cost of the flow systems. Furthermore, such rotating seals introduce an additional component into the system which if defective can cause contamination of the blood being processed.
One flow system heretofore contemplated to overcome the problem of the rotating seal utilizes a rotating carriage on which a single housing is rotatably mounted. An umbilical cable extending to the housing from a stationary point imparts planetary motion to the housing and thus prevents the cable from twisting. To promote the desired ends of sterile processing and avoid the disadvantages of a discontinuous-flow system within a single sealed system, a family of dual member centrifuges can be used to effect cell separation. One example of this type of centrifuge is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. RE 29,738 to Adams entitled xe2x80x9cApparatus for Providing Energy Communication Between a Moving and a Stationary Terminalxe2x80x9d. As is now well known, due to the characteristics of such dual member centrifuges, it is possible to rotate a container containing a fluid, such as a unit of donated blood and to withdraw a separated fluid component, such as plasma, into a stationary container, outside of the centrifuge without using rotating seals. Such container systems utilize a J-loop and can be formed as closed, sterile transfer sets.
The Adams patent discloses a centrifuge having an outer rotatable member and an inner rotatable member. The inner member is positioned within and rotatably supported by the outer member. The outer member rotates at one rotational velocity, usually called xe2x80x9cone omega,xe2x80x9d and the inner rotatable member rotates at twice the rotational velocity of the outer housing or xe2x80x9ctwo omega.xe2x80x9d There is thus a one omega difference in rotational speed of the two members. For purposes of this document, the term xe2x80x9cdual member centrifugexe2x80x9d shall refer to centrifuges of the Adams type.
The dual member centrifuge of the Adams patent is particularly advantageous in that, as noted above, no seals are needed between the container of fluid being rotated and the nonmoving component collection containers. The system of the Adams patent provides a way to process blood into components in a single, sealed, sterile system wherein whole blood from a donor can be infused into the centrifuge while the two members of the centrifuge are being rotated.
An alternate to the apparatus of the Adams patent is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,224 to Lolachi entitled xe2x80x9cFlow System for Centrifugal Liquid Processing Apparatus.xe2x80x9d The system of the Lolachi patent includes a dual member centrifuge of the Adams type. The outer member of the Lolachi centrifuge is rotated by a single electric motor which is coupled to the internal rotatable housing by belts and shafts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,353 to Brown entitled xe2x80x9cCentrifugal Apparatus With Oppositely Positioned Rotational Support Meansxe2x80x9d discloses a centrifuge structure of the Adams type which includes two separate electrical motors. One electric motor is coupled by a belt to the outer member and rotates the outer member at a desired nominal rotational velocity. The second motor is carried within the rotating exterior member and rotates the inner member at the desired higher velocity, twice that of the exterior member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,855 to Brown, et al., entitled xe2x80x9cDrive System For Centrifugal Processing Apparatusxe2x80x9d discloses yet another drive system. The system of the Brown, et al., patent has an outer shaft, affixed to the outer member for rotating the outer member at a selected velocity. An inner shaft, coaxial with the outer shaft, is coupled to the inner member. The inner shaft rotates the inner member at twice the rotational velocity as the outer member. A similar system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,854 to Brown entitled xe2x80x9cCentrifugal Apparatus With Outer Enclosurexe2x80x9d.
The continuous-flow systems described above are large and expensive units that are not intended to be portable. Further, they are also an order of magnitude more expensive than a standard, multi-container blood collection set. There exists the need, therefore, for a centrifugal system for processing blood and other biological fluids that is compact and easy to use and that does not have the disadvantages of prior-art continuous-flow systems.
Whole blood that is to be separated into its components is commonly collected into a flexible plastic donor bag, and the blood is centrifuged to separate it into its components through a batch process. This is done by spinning the blood bag for a period of about 10 minutes in a large refrigerated centrifuge. The main blood constituents, i.e., red blood cells, platelets and white cells, and plasma, having sedimented and formed distinct layers, are then expressed sequentially by a manual extractor in multiple satellite bags attached to the primary bag.
More recently, automated extractors have been introduced in order to facilitate the manipulation. Nevertheless, the whole process remains laborious and requires the separation to occur within a certain time frame to guarantee the quality of the blood components. This complicates the logistics, especially considering that most blood donations are performed in decentralized locations where no batch processing capabilities exist.
This method has been practiced since the widespread use of the disposable plastic bags for collecting blood in the 1970""s and has not evolved significantly since then. Some attempts have been made to apply haemapheresis technology in whole blood donation. This technique consists of drawing and extracting on-line one or more blood components while a donation is performed, and returning the remaining constituents to the donor. However, the complexity and costs of haemapheresis systems preclude their use by transfusion centers for routine whole blood collection.
There have been various proposals for portable, disposable, centrifugal apparatus, usually with collapsible bags, for example as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,737,096, or 4,303,193 to Latham, Jr., or with a rigid walled bowl as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,524 to Fell, et al. These devices all have a minimum fixed holding volume which requires a minimum volume usually of about 250 ml to be processed before any components can be collected.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,540 to McMannis, et al., discloses a centrifugal processing apparatus, wherein the processing chamber is a flexible processing bag which can be deformed to fill it with biological fluid or empty it by means of a membrane which forms part of the drive unit. The bag comprises a single inlet/outlet tubing for the introduction and removal of fluids to the bag, and consequently cannot be used in a continual, on-line process. Moreover, the processing bag has a the disadvantage of having 650 milliliter capacity, which makes the McMannis, et al., device difficult to use as a blood processing device.
As discussed above, centrifuges are often used to separated blood into its components for use in a variety of therapeutic regimens. One such application is the preparation of a bioadhesive sealant. A bioadhesive sealant, also referred to as a fibrin glue, is a relatively new technological advance which attempts to duplicate the biological process of the final stage of blood coagulation. Clinical reports document the utility of fibrin glue in a variety of surgical fields, such as, cardiovascular, thoracic, transplantation, head and neck, oral, gastrointestinal, orthopedic, neurosurgical, and plastic surgery. At the time of surgery, the two primary components comprising the fibrin glue, fibrinogen and thrombin, are mixed together to form a clot. The clot is applied to the appropriate site, where it adheres to the necessary tissues, bone, or nerve within seconds, but is then slowly reabsorbed by the body in approximately 10 days by fibrinolysis. Important features of fibrin glue is its ability to: (1) achieve haemostasis at vascular anastomoses particularly in areas which are difficult to approach with sutures or where suture placement presents excessive risk; (2) control bleeding from needle holes or arterial tears which cannot be controlled by suturing alone; and (3) obtain haemostasis in heparinized patients or those with coagulopathy. See, Borst, H. G., et al., J Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., 84:548-553 (1982); Walterbusch, G. J, et al., Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., 30:234-235 (1982); and Wolner, F. J. et al., Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., 30:236-237 (1982).
Despite the effectiveness and successful use of fibrin glue by medical practitioners in Europe, neither fibrin glue nor its essential components fibrinogen and thrombin are widely used in the United States. In large part, this stems from the 1978 U.S. Food and Drug Administration ban on the sale of commercially prepared fibrinogen concentrate made from pooled donors because of the risk of transmission of viral infection, in particular the hepatitis-causing viruses such as HBV and HCV (also known as non-A and non-B hepatitis virus). In addition, the more recent appearance of other lipid-enveloped viruses such as HIV, associated with AIDS, cytomegalovirus (CMV), as well as Epstein-Barr virus and the herpes simplex viruses in fibrinogen preparations makes it unlikely that there will be a change in this policy in the foreseeable future. For similar reasons, human thrombin is also not currently authorized for human use in the United States. Bovine thrombin, which is licensed for human use in the United States is obtained from bovine sources which do not appear to carry significant risks for HIV and hepatitis, although other bovine pathogens, such as bovine spongiform and encephalitis, may be present.
There have been a variety of methods developed for preparing fibrin glue. For example, Rose, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,879 discloses a method of preparing a cryoprecipitated suspension containing fibrinogen and Factor XIII useful as a precursor in the preparation of a fibrin glue which involves (a) freezing fresh frozen plasma from a single donor such as a human or other animal, e.g. a cow, sheep or pig, which has been screened for blood transmitted diseases, e.g. one or more of syphilis, hepatitis or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, at about 80xc2x0 C. for at least about 6 hours, preferably for at least about 12 hours; (b) raising the temperature of the frozen plasma, e.g. to between about 0xc2x0 C. and room temperature, so as to form a supernatant and a cryoprecipitated suspension containing fibrinogen and Factor XIII; and (c) recovering the cryoprecipitated suspension. The fibrin glue is then prepared by applying a defined volume of the cyroprecipitate suspension described above and applying a composition containing a sufficient amount of thrombin, e.g. human, bovine, ovine or porcine thrombin, to the site so as to cause the fibrinogen in the suspension to be converted to the fibrin glue which then solidifies in the form of a gel.
A second technique for preparing fibrin glue is disclosed by Marx in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,694. Essentially, a cryoprecipitate as discussed previously serves as the source of the fibrinogen component and then Marx adds thrombin and liposomes. A third method discussed by Berruyer, (M.,) et al., entitled xe2x80x9cImmunization by bovine thrombin used with fibrin glue during cardiovascular operations,xe2x80x9d (J.) Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., 105(5):892-897 (1992)) discloses a fibrin glue prepared by mixing bovine thrombin not only with human coagulant proteins, such as fibrinogen, fibronectin, Factor XIII, and plasminogen, but also with bovine aprotinin and calcium chloride.
The above patents by Rose, et al., and Marx, and the technical paper by Berruyer, et al. each disclose methods for preparing fibrin sealants; however, each of these methods suffer disadvantages associated with the use of bovine thrombin as the activating agent. A serious and life threatening consequence associated with the use of fibrin glues comprising bovine thrombin is that patients have been reported to have a bleeding diathesis after receiving topical bovine thrombin. This complication occurs when patients develop antibodies to the bovine factor V in the relatively impure bovine thrombin preparations. These antibodies cross-react with human factor V, thereby causing a factor V deficiency that can be sufficiently severe to induce bleeding and even death. See, Rapaport, S. I., et al., Am. (J.) Clin. Pathol., 97:84-91 (1992); Berruyer, M., et al., J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., 105:892-897 (1993); Zehnder, J., et al., Blood, 76(10):2011-2016(1990); Muntean, W., et al., Acta Paediatr., 83:84-7 (1994); Christine, R. J., et al., Surgery, 127:708-710 (1997).
Further disadvantages associated with the methods disclosed by Marx and Rose, et al. are that the cryoprecipitate preparations require a large time and monetary commitment to prepare. Furthermore, great care must be taken to assure the absence of any viral contaminants.
A further disadvantage associated with the methods previously disclosed is that while human thrombin is contemplated for use as an activator, human thrombin is not available for clinical use and there is no evidence that patients will not have an antigenic response to human thrombin. By analogy, recombinant human factor VIII has been shown to produce antigenic responses in hemophiliacs. See, Biasi, R. de., Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 71(5):544-547 (1994). Consequently, until more clinical studies are performed on the effect of human recombinant thrombin one cannot merely assume that the use of recombinant human thrombin would obviate the antigenic problems associated with bovine thrombin. A second difficulty with thrombin is that it is autocatalytic, that is, it tends to self-destruct, making handling and prolonged storage a problem.
Finally, as discussed above, fibrin glue is comprised primarily of fibrinogen and thrombin thus lacking an appreciable quantity of platelets. Platelets contain growth factors and healing factors which are assumed to be more prevalent in a platelet concentrate. Moreover, platelets aid in acceleration of the clotting process.
There is still a need, therefore, for a centrifugal system for processing blood and other biological fluids, that is compact and easy to use and that does not have the disadvantages of prior-art continuous-flow systems and furthermore there exists a need for a convenient and practical method for preparing a platelet gel composition wherein the resulting platelet gel poses a zero risk of disease transmission and a zero risk of causing an adverse physiological reaction.
There is also a widespread need for a system that, during blood collection, will automatically separate the different components of whole blood that are differentiable in density and size, with a simple, low cost, disposable unit.
There is further a need for a centrifugal cell processing system wherein multiple batches of cells can be simultaneously and efficiently processed without the use of rotational coupling elements.
There is yet a further need for a platelet concentrate that aids in increasing the rate of fibrin clot formation, thereby facilitating haemostasis.
Preferably the apparatus will be essentially self-contained. Preferably, the equipment needed to practice the method will be relatively inexpensive and the blood contacting set will be disposable each time the whole blood has been separated.
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for the separation of components suspended or dissolved in a fluid medium by centrifugation. More specifically, one object of this invention is to provide a method for the separation and isolation of one or more whole blood components, such as platelet rich plasma, white blood cells and platelet poor plasma, from anticoagulated whole blood by centrifugation, wherein the components are isolated while the centrifuge is rotating.
Another object of this invention is to utilize the isolated cell components in a therapeutic regimen.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for the separation of whole blood components, wherein the apparatus contains a centrifuge bag that provides for simultaneous addition of whole blood from a source container and the withdrawal of a specific blood component during centrifugation.
Another object of this invention is to provide disposable, single-use centrifuge bags for holding whole blood during the separation of components of the whole blood by centrifugation, wherein the bag is adapted for use in a portable, point-of-use centrifuge.
Another object of this invention is to provide a portable centrifuge containing a disposable centrifuge bag that maximizes the amount of a predetermined blood fraction that can be harvested from an aliquot of blood that is of greater volume than the capacity of the disposable centrifuge bag.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described therein, one embodiment of this invention comprises a flexible, disposable centrifuge bag adapted to be rotated about an axis, comprising:
a) one or more tubes, and
b) upper and lower flexible sheets, each sheet having a doughnut shaped configuration, an inner perimeter defining a central core and an outer perimeter, wherein the upper and lower sheets are superimposed and completely sealed together at their outer perimeters, and wherein the tubes are sandwiched between the upper and lower sheets and extend from the central core toward the outer perimeter, such that when the upper and lower sheets are sealed at the inner perimeter the tubes are sealed between the upper and lower sheets at the inner perimeter and are in fluid communication with the environment inside and outside the centrifuge bag. The one or more tubes are fluidly connected to an umbilical cable comprising one or more lumen equal to the number of tubes of the centrifuge bag.
To further achieve the foregoing and other objects of this invention, another embodiment of the present invention comprises a rigid molded container adapted to be rotated about an axis, comprising a rigid, annular body having an axial core that is closed at the top end and opened at the bottom end. The rigid molded container further comprises an interior collection chamber for receiving and holding a fluid medium to be centrifuged, the chamber having an outer perimeter, an inner perimeter, and a generally off-centered xe2x80x9cfigure eightxe2x80x9d shaped cross-sectional area. The rigid molded container further comprises a first channel which extends radially from the core and is in fluid communication with a point near the outer perimeter of the chamber, and a second channel which extends radially from the core and is in fluid communication with an area near the narrow portion or xe2x80x9cneckxe2x80x9d of the figure eight-shaped chamber. The first and second channels thus provide fluid communication with the environment inside and outside the interior collection chamber. The first and second channels are fluidly connected to a dual lumen tubing having an inlet lumen and an outlet lumen.
To further achieve the foregoing and other objects of this invention, another embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus and method for separating components contained in a fluid medium. More particularly, the present invention utilizes the principles of centrifugation to allow for the separation of whole blood into fractions such as platelet rich plasma and platelet poor plasma. In one aspect of the present invention, the above-described separation of the components is provided by utilizing a rotatable centrifuge motor comprising a base having a central column and a disposable centrifuge bag having a central core and which is positionable within the centrifuge motor and rotatable therewith. The disposable centrifuge bag, which holds the whole blood during centrifugation, further comprises an inlet tube for introducing the whole blood to the centrifuge bag, and an outlet tube for removing the desired blood fraction from the centrifuge bag. The inlet and outlet tubes are in fluid communication with a dual lumen tubing. The centrifuge bag is removably fixed within the centrifuge rotor by inserting the raised column through the bag center core and securing with the cover. During the rotation of the centrifuge, components of the whole blood will assume a radial, horizontal position within the centrifuge bag based upon a density of such components, and thus the fluid medium components will be separated from other components having different densities.
Once a desired degree of separation of whole blood has been achieved, the present invention provides for the specific removal of the desired fraction within one or more of the regions from the centrifuge bag through the outlet tube during continued rotation of the centrifuge, thereby allowing for on-line removal of the desired fraction. Additional aliquots may be added to the centrifuge bag via the inlet tube simultaneously or after the desired component has been harvested. In one embodiment, the centrifuge bag is a flexible, transparent, generally flat doughnut-shaped bag. In another embodiment, the centrifuge bag is a rigid, transparent container having an interior chamber for receiving and holding the fluid medium during centrifugation, the interior chamber having a generally off-centered figure eight cross-sectional configuration.
Another aspect of the present invention comprises a disposable centrifuge bag having an inlet tube and an outlet tube, wherein the outlet tube is fluidly connected with a bent fitting.
Another aspect of the present invention comprises a centrifuge rotor for holding a centrifuge bag, the rotor comprising a base and a cover, the base further having a first grooved, raised center column and the cover having a second grooved, raised center column. The centrifuge bag is a flexible, doughnut-shaped bag comprising inlet and outlet tubes in fluid communication with the environment inside and outside the centrifuge bag, wherein the tubes are seated in the base and cover column grooves to hold the centrifuge bag in a fixed position relative to the base and cover, such that the bag does not spin independently of the base and cover but rather spins concurrently and at the same rate of rotation as the base and cover.
Another aspect of the present invention comprises a centrifuge rotor for holding a centrifuge bag, the rotor comprising a base and a cover for securing a centrifuge bag therebetween, the centrifuge cover further comprising one or more concentric indicator circles that are spaced from the center of the cover or the base to aid the operator in visualizing the distal ends of these tubes.
Another aspect of the present invention for the separation of components of a fluid medium (e.g., whole blood) utilizes a centrifuge rotor comprising an interior chamber having a complex configuration, wherein the chamber holds a flexible, doughnut-shaped centrifuge bag for retaining the fluid medium during centrifugation. The centrifuge rotor is defined by a base having a lower chamber, and a cover having an upper chamber. When the cover is superimposed on the base, the upper and lower chambers define the annular interior chamber of the rotor. The interior rotor chamber has a generally off-centered figure eight-shaped cross-sectional configuration specifically designed to maximize the collection of the desired component (e.g., platelet rich plasma) by centrifugation of a fluid medium (e.g., anticoagulated whole blood). The centrifuge bag is formed from a substantially flexible material, such that the profile of the centrifuge bag during centrifugation is thus determined at least in part by the volume of the fluid medium contained therein. When the centrifuge bag is filled to maximum capacity, it assumes the configuration of the interior of the rotor chamber.
Another aspect of this invention comprises a method for on-line harvesting of a predetermined component of a fluid medium. One embodiment of the present invention utilizes a centrifuge and a disposable centrifuge bag for containing the fluid medium during separation and which is positionable within the centrifuge, the centrifuge bag further comprising at least one inlet tube and at least one outlet tube. The centrifuge includes a centrifuge rotor having a base portion, a cover, and an outer rim. The base portion and the cover define the interior of the centrifuge rotor, which is separated into upper and lower chambers. The disposable centrifuge bag is positionable horizontally within the lower chamber and may be appropriately secured to the centrifuge base by the cover. The centrifuge bag is fluidly connected via a dual lumen tubing to a source (e.g., to a container comprising anticoagulated autologous whole blood) and collection container (e.g., for receiving platelet rich plasma or some other component that will then be further processed). The dual lumen tubing comprises an inlet lumen fluidly connected to the inlet tube of the centrifuge bag and an outlet lumen fluidly connected to the outlet tube of the centrifuge bag. The centrifuge bag is substantially annular relative to the rotational axis of the centrifuge. When the centrifuge bag is positioned within the centrifuge rotor and appropriately secured thereto to allow for simultaneous rotation, the fluid medium may be provided to the centrifuge bag via the inlet lumen of the tubing during rotation of the centrifuge. The components of the bag assume radial, horizontal positions base based on their densities. When a desired degree of separation has been achieved, the desired fraction may be removed from the centrifuge bag via the outlet lumen during continued rotation of the centrifuge. The position of the fraction to be harvested may be shifted into the area of the outlet tube as needed, either by withdrawing components that are positioned near the outer perimeter through the inlet tube, or by adding additional aliquots of the fluid medium to the bag. In one embodiment of this method, the bag is a flexible, transparent doughnut-shaped bag. In another embodiment of this method, the bag is a rigid, transparent bag comprising an interior chamber having an off-centered, figure eight cross-sectional configuration.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a centrifugal liquid processing system that may be automated.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a centrifuge having an internal lead drive mechanism allowing for a compact size.
A further object of the present invention is to provide for a method and device for the production and isolation of thrombin for all medical uses.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a method for preparing a completely autologous platelet gel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an autologous platelet gel wherein the risks associated with the use of bovine and recombinant human thrombin are eliminated.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an autologous platelet gel for any application.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide cellular components to be used in medical applications.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of this invention shall be set forth in part in the description and examples that follow, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and the advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and in combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.